CREATING A CUSTOM CRM WITH GRANT REPORTING CAPABABILITIES
Overview
A local, business support organisation - working across a regional district - is committed to helping both start-ups and established businesses grow and thrive. They offer a variety of services including networking events, informal lunch sessions, workshops, and one-to-one coaching - the organisation are seen as playing a vital role to creating business growth and entrepreneurship in the area.
However, as the number of clients and activities grew, so did the complexity of managing operations. With several business coaches supporting hundreds of businesses, the organisation began to experience increasing strain on its systems and processes. It became clear that to continue delivering high-quality support, a new approach to managing data and reporting was needed.
Manual tasks
Information about customers, events, and business milestones was stored across numerous platforms - ranging from spreadsheets and cloud storage to physical paper files. This disjointed approach led to a heavy manual workload for the team, with coaches often working in silos and managing separate systems. As a result, accessing complete and accurate information was time-consuming and prone to error.
The organisation also faced challenges in meeting government grant reporting obligations. Funding agreements required detailed, accurate output data to demonstrate the impact of public investment. Without a centralised system, collecting this data was difficult and cumbersome, and there was a risk of businesses being double-counted- or missed entirely - in official reports.
Attempts to use off-the-shelf systems in the past proved unsuccessful. These platforms lacked the flexibility needed to accommodate the organisation’s unique requirements, especially when it came to the changing demands of grant-funded activities. Instead of simplifying operations, the systems became increasingly burdensome, complex, and costly.
Taking back control
To regain control over its operations and reduce the administrative burden, they approached us to build a bespoke system tailored to their needs. The aim was to centralise data, automate processes, and provide a more consistent, reliable way to manage customer interactions and reporting outputs.
Built within the Microsoft ecosystem, the solution used Power Apps for the user interface, Dataverse for secure data storage, and Power Automate to streamline key workflows. SharePoint lists were initially considered but quickly ruled out due to their limitations.
The new system was designed to handle:
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Customer contact and engagement history
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Event attendance tracking
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Business milestones and achievements
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Portfolio and document management
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Bespoke reporting outputs
From the outset, the system delivered immediate improvements. By using a relational database, it became easier to connect individuals and businesses, monitor client progress, and track both new start-ups and those still in planning.
One of the most impactful changes was the implementation of an event tracker. This feature automatically reconciles attendee data with existing records, feeding directly into reporting outputs and eliminating the need for tedious cross-referencing. The new customer engagement tracker and centralised file storage created a single source of truth—ensuring continuity and improving collaboration across the team.
Development followed agile principles, with regular feedback sessions used to refine and enhance functionality. The team worked together to standardise data entry practices, particularly in how outputs and outcomes were defined. This not only improved reporting accuracy but also reduced the risk of missed KPIs.
Conclusion
With a tailored, centralised system now in place, the organisation has significantly reduced its manual workload and gained full control over its operations. Automated processes and consistent data handling have improved reporting accuracy, ensured compliance with funding requirements, and saved valuable time.
Most importantly, the system allows the team to focus on what matters most—supporting local businesses. It has brought much-needed efficiency, clarity, and continuity to their day-to-day work, enabling them to expand their reach and continue delivering high-impact services to the community.